ENTP or ENFP?? Help me out here people. Is there a sure-fire way to tell whether you are an ENTP or an ENFP? Obviously I mean if tests have a tendency to come out either way depending on your mood, and both profiles seem to fit you well. It's as if I'm both, depending on the situation, but it doesn't work that way. I'm stumped. This drives me crazy. I can figure out everyone but myself, lol. Hmm...you know what might help, is an ENFP Uncovered. The ENTP could fit me, but there's always the possibility that the ENFP version would make even more sense... -- Dusty

A1 Hi Dusty, One thing you might try is reading ENFP and ENTP profiles from various sources, and see after reading several of them if one type or another seems to describe you better. The third letter, F/T, is the last to develop in a child. That is, until adolescence ENP kids are lumped in together, and its not until later tha the F/T distinction emerges. You may simply be a little of both -- which is a good thing, in a way, because it is better to be a well-balanced person whose tendencies fall toward the center of the chart than to be an extreme example of any one type. Finally, think about how you act when you are at your most comfortable and happiest. Your stressed-out and "at work" personality is often false. -- Eva (INFj)

A2 In my opinion, most assessments that try to measure F/T are flawed because society teaches us to be nice to people, and most people feel guilty saying "I'm a jerk" on a test, so because people say "I'm nice," they come out F. Count yourself as one of those lucky people who are "beyond type." Of course, for you, Socionics then collapses because the candidates for those people you get along with and those you don't get along with end up being the same people. -- Jonathan

A3 Hello Dusty. First of all the suggestions and comments of A1 are very valuable in my opinion. Perhaps this simple question might help you aswell. Are you more driven to understand the world as a whole, have a well defined value system and want to understand what people you meet are all about (ENFP)- or are you driven to gain insight in how the world works, what the different viewpoints are in a discussion or matter and the desire to understand the ideas and thoughts of the people you meet (ENTP)? I admit both profiles have a lot of similarities, but just read a few versions and then stop and ask yourself how you think - or feel about both. Good luck -- voot (ENFP)

A4 Hi Dusty - I'm in your shoes too, as a female T, one gets lots of encouragement to develop that F side. But when the rubber meets the road, I do measure people by an abstract standard. (Of course it's a unique standard, that only I would use, but it's quite stable.) Good luck - burggg (ENTP) -- Anonymous

A5 A good way of differentiating ENFPs en ENTPs is whether they are thin or thick skinned. E.g. are you easily hurt by criticism, thus thin-skinned? Then you are probably ENFP. However, if you forget about cristicism fast, you are more likely to be ENTP. -- pm

A6 I think that's a bullseye from A5! -- ENFp

A7 A5 seems the best method to go by as well. Though I should add, thick skinned people aren't neccesary un hurt by criticism, they're just more likely to ignore it, or bury it, or rationalize it away (more vurnerable on the inside yet less likely to show it on the outside). But really, being a female T, its nearly impossible to not have any F tendencies, considering the world we live in. But at the end of the day, i'm just too objective and really just don't care enough (ENTP) -- Anonymous

A8 Dusty, you may be an ENFP gong through your thinking or you may just have alot of T tendencies or simply be borderline. it's entirely possible. it sounds like you may be one or the other and you may simply be VERY good at tapping into what you ened depending on your situation. you can ask yourself one question to find out. Would you fire someone who has a sick wife and is really old or would you fire someone who can easily find another job if you had spent all the money and resources traninging him. you cannot afford to keep them both. the first one is the feeler. the second is the thinker. Now about going through your thinking, what that means is you have your lead, auxilery and the third and fourth. for an ENFP the third is thinking. you'll get your sensing but that doesn't happen til age 50 or so. To be getting our thinking means that you analyze stuff logically. being borderline menas that you are so close to the border that it's hard to tell. (my sis is a borderline J/P. it DOES happen. and can happen on and of the 8 letters.) as for tenencies you'll either have one or the other but you'll have tendencies that you can use. I have alot of S ad J tendencies myself. you can use your tenencies. a really well developed person uses BOTH sides of all 8 letters. remember these are merely PREFERENCES, like your left and right hands. (I guess you can tell how long I've been at this.) Good luck with this. Try joining some mailing lists online if you still have some questions. you'll find some great insights on MBTI. -- KZ the ENFP

A9 With ENTPs and ENFPs the determining factor is how they express themselves. Both types can be extremely social, but ENTPs are more cynical and sarcastic. ENFPs are nicer. Not in their actions and decisions in life, just when they talk and interact with others. Both types can be cold and brutal because that's how extroverted intuitive types are, but in human interaction ENTPs are usually very intense and matter-of-fact when they talk, while ENFPs come across as more gentle and soothing. -- Anonymous

A10 I believe both A9 and A5 are correct. Unfortunately I am the "intense" type and I have to be careful not to overwhelm. I can get my feelings hurt but I recover quickly. I test as an ENTP but have one item in the T vs F part out-of-preference in extensive tests -- Kay

A11 I disagree that being thick- or thin-skinned determines whether you are T or F, respectively. I've actually tried to work at becoming more thick-skinned myself. It's just that I don't express (Fe) and try to hide that I am hurt. In my opinion, and from listening to others and reading Socionics articles on the 'net, F is more about personal relationships, and T about ideas and how they are structured. It's common for ENTps (at least, myself) to make many social blunders because they don't recognize social expectations or even understand the code of conduct for social interaction. (This can be solved by using Ti to make up structures and rules of interaction, which is probably why ENTps might like Socionics -- they want positive attention and approval.) Hope this helps. -- D. - ENTp-Ti subtype

A12 Dusty: The mere fact that you haven't found yourself yet means you're probably an ENFP. NFs are in life-long search of their true selves and NTs know exactly where their self is. -- ENTP also named Dusty

A13 I love the remark of A5 but here is a little imaginary test from me also: Imagine yourself as a boss. You have to hire a person to help you reach a financial target. You know your unemployed friend is formally qualified but also know he may not be the best person for that position. What do you do? An ENTF is likely to help a friend since he believes the answer to success is in close relations. An ENTP would organize a search for the right employee and not mix friends and work since he thrives to success. -- Marika, ENTP

A14 ENTPs are good at bitching out more than ENFPs. Hee hee -- marga the ENTP

A15 ENFPs are drawn to humanitarian concerns no matter how they structure their lives. In the end its all about people. ENTPs are drawn to scientific/technological competencies. ENTPs like one-up-manship and may make odd social blunders sometimes reveiling information best left private. ENFPs are often seen as nieve and will want to please others even when its not to their advantage. -- Anonymous

A16 Poor Dusty. Has anyone actually clarified anything? I have a similar problem and I think I'm more confused with all of these conflicting possibilities and opinions. Neither the ENFp nor the ENTp has fine, discriminating judgment skills, right? So how are we supposed to decide between the two with all of this information? Someone send in an authority. -- Poop in your pants (EN_p)

A17 ENTPs more cynical and sarcastic in conversations - yep, I would say that that describes me to a tee. I work with many ESFJ (extraverted feelers) in my line of work and boy oh boy, have I gotten dirty looks for comments that are socially inappropriate. There are a few male staff on hand that keep chit-chat interesting by teasing and joking around with me. Observers of our banter have observed the "meanness" of their comments towards me, but I actually enjoy the jabs, as well as give them out too! -- Anonymous

A18 Dusty, The simple fact that it bugs you most likely means your a feeler, but view it as having the best of both worlds. It means your open-minded and it't a plus to be able to see both sides of any issue(even if it is hard to make a decision sometimes). I'm an ENFP and I border on thinking and feeling too, so I can definetly relate. -- Wanda

A19 ENTps and ENFps are infinitely different. Conflict will make ENTps start grinning. ENFps will probably flee the scene. ENFps take pains to make "people" feel comfortable about who they are. ENTps are usually objective about "people"; whether random person in ENTp's presence feels awkward or not *is* random person. This looks mean, but it's not. ENTps just aren't nurturing in that way. Am I right? -- Anonymous

A20 meh.. i'm an ENFP, I love sarcasm and getting into little verbal fights with the right people. maybe I'm a little T. but I have to have a level of comfort with the person first and know they won't take a lot of offense, unless i'm standing up for something I believe in. i guess with ENTPs it's with whoever? -- Anonymous

A21 I recommend taking the Myers-Brigg Step II, which has more questions and breaks each dimension down into 5 facets. It is much more informative, because you don't have to be all one or all the other. -- Anonymous

A22 as an ENFP, (male) I Like A5 & A20. Here's another easy test. When you watch a tear jerker..soppy movie do you easily get choked up and teary eyed? This is a sign of the feeler. Thinkers seem to be more analytical and much less "emotional" in this area. -- Barry G

A23 Do you constantly offend people by being blunt? Do you often feel detached from your emotions, as if you are watching yourself feel rather than immersing yourself in the feeling? Do you never back down from a fight? Are you bad at following social cues, ie gauging how appropriate what you're saying may be? Do you like things to be correct and logical and have little patience for people who argue based on "beliefs" and "Feelings" rather than on facts and logic? I don't know if all of these need to apply to you, but that's what I personally experience /my/ Ti as. -- Anonymous

*Please note that the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of socionics.com*